“We appreciate the technology that has allowed millions of Americans to have information at their fingertips, but giving drunk drivers a free tool to evade checkpoints, putting innocent families and children at risk, is a matter of public concern,” the Senators said in the letter.

Hearing their call, RIM said Wednesday it would remove the app from its BlackBerry phones. The other carriers have yet to make public statements.

The telecom companies are required to approve all apps before they are launched in the market, a method many have used to help mediate adult-content applications.

Apple, which recently came under criticism for a religious app it offered that focused on "curing" homosexuality, pulled the controversial program from its iconic App Store following outcry from some 146,000 people who submitted a massive petition seeking its elimination.

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The DUI apps, including PhantomAlert and Buzzed, help drivers identify local police enforcement zones, including speed traps and DUI checkpoints, updated in real-time using databases and GPS data. The apps, which also alert the user to traffic cameras, school zones, accidents and dangerous curves, have surged in popularity, with one reaching 10 million users.

In an interview with ComputerWorld, PhantomAlert's chief executive, Joe Scott, said the service is completely legal, noting that Washington would "actually support" the program had they "really understood" its intentions.